The present invention relates to a toy set comprising at least a first, second, third and fourth body, each body being substantially equally dimensioned, wherein:
each of said bodies comprises a coupling portion applied on a base portion,
each base portion has an outer surface delimiting a substantially cylindrical shaped cavity,
said first and second bodies are provided for being stacked upon each other, wherein said coupling portion of said first body rotatably fits within said cavity of said second body,
said third and fourth bodies are provided for being stacked upon each other, wherein said coupling portion of said third body rotatably fits within said cavity of said fourth body,
each of said bodies further comprises at least a connecting member, wherein at least one of said connecting members forms a protrusion extending outwardly from said outer surface,
said first and third bodies are provided for being assembled adjacent each other, wherein said connecting member of said first body fits within said connecting member of said third body, and
said second and fourth bodies are provided for being assembled adjacent each other, wherein said connecting member of said second body fits within said connecting member of said fourth body.
Such a toy set is known from U.S. Pat. No. 5,361,919. In this toy set, the bodies have the same shape and may be used as a bottle cap as well as a toy. The coupling portion is formed by a circular protrusion provided on the base portion having the shape of a hollow polygon, in particular a hexagon. When two bodies are stacked on top of each other, the circular protrusion of one of the bodies rotatably fits into the cavity of the other body. Each body further comprises, on each external surface of the polygon, a detent extending from the surface or an indent provided in the surface, the detent extending from a surface of one body being provided for being fitted within an indent of a surface from another body. In this way, two bodies may be fitted adjacent each other wherein said surface with the detent from the one body is tangent to the surface with the indent from the other body.
FIG. 1 illustrates schematically a construction performed with known bodies. Referring to FIG. 1, when four of these known bodies are used, it is possible to fit them in such a manner that a second body 2 is stacked on a first body 1 and a third body 3 is assembled to said first body by mating a detent 5 on the first body with an indent 6 on the third body. If it is desired to stack the fourth body 4 on top of the third body 3 without assembling the fourth body 4 to the second body 2, care should be taken that the two tangent surfaces both comprise an indent 7, 8 so as to avoid mating of the fourth and second body. This limits the number of possible configurations of the bodies. In particular, if the bodies have an outer surface in the shape of an hexagon, wherein detents are provided every two sides, such as disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 5,361,919, only three configurations of the second body are allowed, i.e. when the indents of the second body are adjacent an indent on the fourth body. In addition, stepwise rotation will be obstructed by one of the detents (not shown) provided on the surfaces of the second or fourth body.
The object of the present invention is to provide a toy set enabling to build a construction wherein a first pair of bodies are assembled adjacent each other by mating the connecting members and two further bodies may each be provided adjacent one each other on top of said pair in such a manner that a large number of configurations are possible.
It is a further object that at least a stepwise rotation of the further bodies with respect to each other, preferably over an angle of at least 180 degrees is rendered possible.
According to one aspect of the present invention, the toy set is characterised in that:
each protrusion of said first and third bodies is only located within a space delimited, when said first and third bodies are assembled adjacent each other, by said outer surfaces of the first and third bodies and two common tangent planes, each of said common tangent planes being tangent to both of said outer surfaces of said first and third bodies, and
each protrusion of said second and fourth bodies is only located within a space delimited, when said second and fourth bodies are assembled adjacent each other, between said outer surfaces of the second and fourth bodies and between two common tangent planes, each of said common tangent planes being tangent to both of said outer surfaces of said second and fourth bodies.
It is possible to build a construction wherein a first pair of bodies, for example the first and third bodies (or the second and fourth bodies), are mated adjacent each other, and two further bodies, for example the second and fourth bodies (or the first and third bodies), are provided adjacent each other on top of said pair without mating connecting members of the two further bodies to each other. By providing that each protrusion is only located within the defined limited space, different configurations of the further bodies without mating the further bodies to each other are possible. For example, if the base portion of the bodies has a squared outer surface, three configurations of one of the further bodies is allowed without having to mate the second and fourth body with each other. In case of a hexagon, where protrusions are provided on one of the sides, five configurations are possible.
In particular, said outer surface is substantially polygonal at least outside said space and comprises at least three sides outside said space. This allows an at least stepwise rotation movement, in particular of at least 180 degrees without being obstructed by a protrusion.
In a first preferred embodiment of the toy set according to the invention, each connecting member comprises a male member and a female member; in each connecting member at least one of said male and female members from said protrusion extends outwardly from said outer surface; and when two of said bodies are assembled adjacent each other, said male member from one of the bodies is provided for mating within said female member of the other body and said female member of the one body is provided for mating within said male member of the other body.
This enables to mate two bodies adjacent each other without requiring two different types of bodies, i.e. female bodies and male bodies, since both bodies have a connecting member formed by a male member and a female member. When two bodies of this type are assembled adjacent each other, both the male and female members of the one body are connected to the female and male member of the other body.
In a second preferred embodiment of the toy set according to the invention, both said male and female members form said protrusion extending outwardly from said outer surface and said male and female members of one of the bodies are provided for being slidably mated with said female and male members of another of said bodies. When two such bodies are mated adjacent each other, a tight connection of the two bodies is ensured. It will be difficult to disengage such a connection by pulling the two bodies apart from each other. The two bodies may easily be disengaged from each other by sliding them apart from each other.
In a third preferred embodiment of the toy set according to the invention, said male and female members are located on said outer surface within a segment not larger than 60 degrees of said outer surface. In this way, when a construction as set hereinabove is built, at least a stepwise rotation movement of relatively more than 180 degrees will be possible without being obstructed by a male or female member.
In a fourth preferred embodiment of the toy set according to the invention, said male and female members are located on said outer surface on a segment of at least 40 degrees of said outer surface. This guarantees that the male and female member are sufficiently spaced apart from each other, so that torsion of two such bodies mated adjacent each other is limited and a tight connection is ensured.
The present invention also relates to a body for use in a toy set and use of the body as a cap for a recipient, a recipient or a building block.